What's Wrong with the 3rd Generation (2008–2011) Impreza?

Impreza owners have made 69 complaints about the 2008–2011 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 31st out of 38 Subaru generations in overall reliability, with real engine and windows concerns.

Compare With Other Impreza Generations

Common 2008-2011 Subaru Impreza Problems

Some of the worst issues 3rd generation Impreza owners have to deal with.

  1. Brake Light Switch Defect

    A build-up of chemicals from scented cleaning products containing silicone can disable the brake light switch in millions of Subaru vehicles. This can prevent the brake lights from turning on when pressing the pedal, among other things, and…

    Continue reading article "Brake Light Switch Defect" Close-up of a brake light with a red lens on top, clear lens on bottom.

  3. Leaky Head Gaskets

    Why can't Subaru build a decent head gasket? The automaker has had issues with leaky gaskets in their 4-cylinder engines since the 1980's. And repairing the issue is expensive as it requires the engine to be removed.

    Continue reading article "Leaky Head Gaskets" A close-up of a clean black head gasket above two silver pistons.

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

3rd Generation (2008–2011) Impreza Key Numbers

  1. 4 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 69 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 31st in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 38 eligible generations.

Recent 3rd Generation (2008–2011) Impreza News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Subaru is recalling 783,000 vehicles to replace dangerous Takata airbag inflators.

    This campaign is part of an industry-wide effort involving more than a dozen automakers and 1.7 million vehicles. The chemical inside of Takata airbag inflators can become unstable over time, leading to violent and sometimes deadly airbag deployments. The recall is for both driver and passenger side inflators in certain 2010-2014 model years, but is limited to certain states.

    keep reading article "The Latest 783,000 Subaru Vehicles Recalled with Takata Inflators"